POMONA >> Greeting someone with a smile, opening the door for someone or leaving a note with encouraging words are all simple acts that can make a person’s day.

A group of 23 Pomona Unified School District students who are part of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council launched the Pomona Kindness Project this week, part of an effort to lift the spirits of those in school and around the community.

The actions “say, ‘You’re not alone. I’m here for you,’” said Marleni Munguia, a senior at Garey High School who is on the advisory council, which consists of mostly juniors and seniors from all of the district’s high schools.

The kindness project surprisingly traces its origins back to President Donald Trump.

A project born of politics

The November election had an effect on students around the school district, Munguia said. Many were sad or fearful of Trump’s policies that and the effect they may have on immigrant families, she said.

“They were concerned about the behavior of adults” leading up to the election, Martinez said.

Martinez suggested using the concept behind the National Random Acts of Kindness Day, which this year was observed Feb. 17, he said.

The idea is to carry out small actions that encourage kindness.

Students took the idea and ran with it, he said.

The idea called for launching the concept with Pomona Kindness Project Week, which began Monday at all PUSD schools, and then allow the project to continue as long as each school wishes to have it run, Martinez said.

A new motivation to serve

But a week before the students kicked-off the concept, 8-year-old Jonah Hwang, a student at Pomona-based Cortez Math and Science Magnet School, became the victim of a drive-by shooting. The boy, his parents and family friends were all inside a home in the 1100 block of West 11th Street on the evening of Feb. 20 when Jonah was wounded. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, Pomona police said. What motivated the incident is not clear.

The district’s crisis team, which includes counselors and psychologists, was mobilized the morning after the shooting, Martinez said.

Faculty and staff got the news first, and then preparations were made to share it with students in an age-appropriate manner, he said. The crisis team was available to work with students, and counselors were also brought in for the teachers and staff.

Similar steps were taken to assist students at other PUSD schools because children present at the home the night of the shooting are enrolled at other campuses, Martinez said.

Tie a yellow ribbon

Family members and friends of the Hwang family contacted the district when they heard of the Pomona Kindness Project and asked if something could be done in conjunction to remember Jonah, he said.

From that came the Yellow Ribbons for Hope initiative.

After the tragedy, “the kids needed to do something concrete,” Martinez said. The initiative “allowed all the other kids to be involved.”

Yellow ribbons have been tied around trees at schools and people are wearing yellow ribbons.

Munguia said the yellow ribbons allow everyone to honor Jonah and send a message of hope and compassion to his family.

Pomona City Council members recognized the students’ Pomona Kindness Project with a proclamation presented to them and school district officials during Monday’s City Council meeting. The proclamation declared this week “Pomona Kindness Project Week.”

Mayor Tim Sandoval praised the students’ work the students.

“I think it really reflects the values of our youth,” Sandoval said.

Pomona’s youth care about their fellow students, the people that make up the city and are interested in helping where they see a need, he said.

“I think we can learn a lot from our children,” Sandoval said.

Munguia said students have welcomed the Pomona Kindness Project. The project is seen as something that brings students and the community together and makes all hopeful, she said, a hope that existed just a few months ago.

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